


slapshot

by MeansToOffend (goodmorning)



Series: Pick Me Up (Again) [11]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: 2017-2018 NHL Season, New York Rangers, Other, Polyamory Negotiations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2021-01-23 04:34:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,000
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21314260
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodmorning/pseuds/MeansToOffend
Summary: "None of them is graceful in any way, all of them slightly too big for this apartment, but with Brady’s quick thinking they narrowly avoid tipping Kevin back over the coffee table, awkwardly trying to kiss him at the same time."
Relationships: Kevin Hayes/Brady Skjei/Jimmy Vesey
Series: Pick Me Up (Again) [11]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1180688
Kudos: 27





	slapshot

**Author's Note:**

  * For [significantotters](https://archiveofourown.org/users/significantotters/gifts).
  * Inspired by [Band-Aid](https://archiveofourown.org/works/14126598) by [MeansToOffend (goodmorning)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goodmorning/pseuds/MeansToOffend). 

Kevin doesn’t know how long they’re hugging for, exactly. He just doesn’t want it to stop. Brady’s too-warm Minnesota body heat is seeping into his right side, Jimmy still smells like popcorn on his left, and he doesn’t quite know what to do with his chin but it’s bliss, this quiet celly just for them. Everything he’s dared to dream about is in his arms and each others’, and he barely wants to believe it could really be true.

Brady is the first one to pull back. “Should we-?” he starts, and for all that he’s usually the mature one of them, in this moment they’re all out of their depths - the small age gap shows itself in the way he doesn’t seem comfortable finishing a thought. “I’d really like to-” he says, and glances back and forth between Kevin and Jimmy.

Jimmy looks back at him, right at his lips, and Kevin suddenly realizes what they want. “You two… you first,” he says, gesturing between them, biting his own lip in anticipation.

They look at each other for a moment, and he thinks, again, that they’re communicating something wordlessly. It’s the only thought he has time for before they both lunge at him.

None of them is graceful in any way, all of them slightly too big for this apartment, but with Brady’s quick thinking they narrowly avoid tipping Kevin back over the coffee table, awkwardly trying to kiss him at the same time. It… really doesn’t work, but he appreciates the thought, especially since he’s the one who’s the interloper here.

They let him go, and he smiles, wide and bright, heart fit to soar out of his chest. “Okay, but seriously,” Kevin says, and they look at each other for a breath, two breaths, three, and Kevin doesn’t know when he started counting this way or why but he’s about to ask them what the problem is when Brady breathes in deep, lays a palm on Jimmy’s cheek, and kisses him, lightly, on the lips, barely a peck, which is… not what he’d expected.

“Wait,” Kevin says, coming to a sudden realization, “you two aren’t dating?”

“What?” squawks Jimmy; Brady just laughs and laughs with his two lungfuls of air like he’ll never be able to stop.

“How the fuck did you ever get that idea?” he asks, once he’s finally managed to collect himself.

Kevin can feel the heat in his face, but he’s embarrassed himself in front of Brady and Jimmy more times than he can count; he’s pretty used to it by now. “Well, I just thought… you two are pretty co-dependent, you know? And you both kept showing up to practice in each others’ shirts...”

Jimmy yelps again, but Brady just smiles and shakes his head. “We still don’t have a laundry basket,” he says, and Kevin can hear the implied ‘you know how we are’ in it, just like always. “We just throw it all in the bottom of Jimmy’s closet until we run out of shit to wear.”

There’s nothing he can really do with that but pull them both into his arms again, hugging them as hard as he can before he carefully and obnoxiously pretends to shove their faces together. Brady rolls his eyes, and Jimmy says, “Alright, already,” and then they actually do kiss, Brady’s hand steadying Jimmy’s face again, both of them leaning into Kevin. It’s exactly like he’d imagined, this time, only better, because he’s included instead of just wishing for it. Better yet is the way Jimmy lunges at his face the second they break apart, the taste of popcorn and the feel of Brady shaking in silent laughter against his side, then against his lips.

Afterwards, there’s a moment where none of them wants to move, or maybe they just don’t feel able to, but it stretches into an awkward silence, like none of them wants to be the first to say what it is they’re feeling, or like they don’t quite know how. Jimmy seems to be trying to shred his lower lip with his teeth; Kevin keeps taking deep breaths like he’s found the right words but letting them out again without saying anything; but Brady is coming back to certainty, finding himself within this new framework. What murky spots he still feels can be cleared up easily with just a few questions, probably the same questions that have Jimmy worried and Kevin speechless.

“So… what are we doing?” he starts with, because he can’t quite think of any other way to phrase it.

“This is called a _group hug_,” says Kevin, at the same time as Jimmy (hopefully) asks, “Uh, each other?”

It makes Kevin laugh, at least, but Brady just sighs at them both, pulling free of their arms at last. “You know what I meant,” he says. “Are we dating? Do we call ourselves _boyfriends_? Like, what, exactly, do we all want out of this?” 

Jimmy, allergic to talking about his feelings, puts on a pleading face, but Kevin nods, trying to look wise. “All very important questions,” he says, like a pompous asshole, “but I feel like the answers are pretty obvious.” He waits, but all Brady does is raise an eyebrow and scowl a little, and Jimmy still looks worried that he’ll have to talk about emotions, so it’s up to Kevin again, as usual. “Yes: I think I prefer ‘partners;’ the normal range of dating stuff. How about you? Any other questions, or should we go work on Jimmy’s suggestion now?”

“I guess that covers it,” Brady agrees, feigning annoyance, “and partners and dating is what I’ve been hoping for.”

“You’ve been hoping for?” Kevin asks, interested, but Brady is staring at Jimmy now.

Jimmy squeaks, “Sure, same, dating, yep,” blushing when Kevin waggles his eyebrows and Brady bites his lip.

And then they’re in Brady’s bed, and they find that long-term questions can wait just a little bit longer; some issues are slightly more pressing.

**Author's Note:**

> \- I started writing this when they were still all Rangers; it has been a _long time._  
\- The "sports bros are feelings idiots" trope strikes again (as always)!  
\- Literally they spend the entire 1k words _right next to each other_. I forgot this while I was writing it but honestly they're exactly the type of fools who would do this.  
\- "Slapshot" is the title of the Rangers' (woah hey) goal song for the past 2+ decades.


End file.
